Vision Express refines targeted marketing with SPSS analytics tool

Vision Express is set to improve the effectiveness of its marketing communications with the introduction of a marketing analytics tool from SPSS.

The system will allow the optician to profile customer groups and enhance the segmentation done, so that the direct mail and email marketing that customers are sent is appropriate to them.

Other retailers that have used the system have seen a payback within 10 months of its adoption.

Vision Express wants to ensure its contact with customers is more personalised and that product and clinical messages are marketed at the right time and in the right format to generate the best return.

The system will begin to go live in the next couple of months and will pull customer information from a variety of sources, creating a single view of each customer that can be used to determine which campaigns are appropriate to include them in.

At the same time, Vision Express is understood to be in the process of implementing a data warehouse from Oracle.Vision Express supply chain director David Hart said that the company was already employing data analytics and contact management as part of its marketing strategy, and undertook an extensive review of the market before settling on the SPSS application to meet its additional needs.

He said: “We now see SPSS providing us with the next expert step to analyse data management and communication. In short, taking us to the next level in customer understanding and ultimately improved retention.”

Hart added: “The solution impressed us. We knew we were doing well, but the breadth of intelligence and capability opened our eyes to new possibilities in data insight and management.”

He gave one example of undertaking analysis of the behaviour of high value customers who have stopped shopping with the chain, and using the data to single out others who might leave so Vision Express can implement a retention campaign.